The Law & Safety for your swimming pool
TEL/ FAX 0033 (0)5 6 511 93 20
MOBILE 0033 (0)6 85 90 63 28
The
law is enforced by a fine of up to €45,000 and inspectors will be checking
swimming pools in all regions for the correct installation of alarms and
barriers, below is some easy to read facts on the swimming pool laws.
.
Now in France all in ground swimming pools must have installed an AFNOR approved
pool security system, whether they are for private or collective use (Gites,
chambres de hôtes etc).
The deadline for pool security in France was the 1st of January 2006 but most
home owners in France do not seem to be taking the new Law very serious or seem
to be un sure of the Law and the different types of pool security systems
available.
The
Maries, Gendarmerie and the DDE or all responsible for enforcing the Law, there
will be inspectors appointed to make sure everyone complies with the Law and it
is just a matter of time until fines of up to €45,000 are
issued.
The Law mean that all in ground swimming pools must have a safety device in place that conforms to AFNOR Standards The CSC (Centre de sécurité des consommateurs) recommends the installation of a pool safety fence or a barrier, as it is the only passive security device. All the other approved means of security are alarms, rigid safety covers and shelters (Abris) which need to be actively turned on or physically closed every time the pool is vacated (even for a few minutes) and as such should be seen as supplementary to a physical barrier.
There
are four types of approved security system:
1. Security Barriers, AFNOR
standard: NF P 90-306.
Removable or permanent,
ensure the best safety as entrance to the pool side is not available to young
children
2. Pool Alarms, AFNOR
standard: NF P 90-307.
Immersion detector or
perimeter alarm
Be aware, even
if you have installed a certified device, if an accident occurs you are still
liable. Even the most advanced or
expensive alarm system is only effective if there is someone there to react to
it.
3. Pool Covers, AFNOR
standard: NF P 90-308.
Summer & Winter
covers are only accepted if they are AFNOR approved. Due to the recent nature of
these standards, covers older than 3 years old are not certified.
4. Pool Abris, AFNOR
standard: NF P 90-309.
The most
expensive option.
You can determine which method will best suit your needs, below are more details to help you chose:
Fencing (recommended by the
Centre de sécurité des consommateurs)
The protection barrier can be combined with one (or more) wall(s) of buildings, or dwellings, bordering the zone in which the swimming pool is located.
A hedge alone cannot be regarded as a protection barrier.
The chosen barrier must be AFNOR approved check that your chosen fencing/barrier has this before purchasing
The protection barrier must be built in order to
prevent the passage of children of less than five years old by striding over,
climbing or accidental opening of the means of access.
All barriers must also have a self-closing and self-locking gate as part
of their fence and must open outwards. To prevent the accidental opening of the
gate by a child of less than five years the unlocking system should necessitate
a minimum force of 20N.The minimal
height of the barrier must be at least 1.1m and should be installed
a minimum of 1m from the water's edge and not so far from the edge of the pool
to render them ineffective.
Floating pool alarm Devices with remote alarms sounding in the home can alert you to a child falling into the pool. The pool surface, however, must be disturbed enough by the fall so as to set off the alarm. Since these alarms do work off a disturbance to the surface of the pool; your child could quietly walk down the steps, go under, drown, and never disturb the alarm or set it off!!! Better than nothing at all since they do detect some accidental falls if adjusted and placed properly. Alarm batteries and function should be checked often to increase the safety margin and effectiveness of this type of device. If this is your choice of protection, be sure the model you purchase has a remote alarm that will sound in the house and a local alarm that will also alert someone near the pool area.
Immersion
detector
A device which is fitted to
the edge of the pool with part of the alarm immersed into the swimming pool, it
detects any movement in the water and sets of the alarm with-in the system. The
system only works efficiently if there are adults near by respond to it.
Infrared beam. This alarm is designed to detect motion around the perimeter of the pool. These are designed similar to your burglar alarm systems, if the infer red beam is broken an alarm will be triggered.
Removable safety fencing has proven, over the past thirty years, to be the most practical and effective barrier against pool drowning short of putting up a permanent rail fence.
The concept is simple. Isolate the pool from your home and eliminate all access to the water by a toddler. For the pool to be truly isolated and the barriers serve effectively, there must not be a reason to open the pool fence other than to use or service the pool itself. That means not having to open the pool fence to go out a screen enclosure door or into your backyard. These areas should be accessible to you without opening the swimming pool fence. The more times a fence is opened, for a reason other than to use the pool, the greater the possibility that it will be left open for whatever reason.
REMOVABLE Pool fence is a great idea as it can be removed quickly to enjoy the pool and it’s surroundings and then put back up very easily
Constructed of see through, polyester mesh mounted on aluminium or fibreglass support poles. The fence is placed into aluminium or plastic sleeves installed into your deck surface. The bottom border of the fence material should be flush to your deck so as to prevent a child from pushing under. The basic principal that keeps pool fence in place is bilateral tension and the fence should be checked periodically to insure that you have benefit of its full function.
A standard pool fence is removable in approximately fifteen feet sections. Each section can easily be rolled up and weighs only fourteen pounds. The average one hundred foot fence can be removed in less than fifteen minutes and be put back up in approximately the same amount of time. Most fences, however, are never taken down until children in the home are old enough not to require this safe guard any longer.
SELF-CLOSING, SELF-LOCKING GATES: Self-closing, self-latching gates are automatic and provide better protection if there are persons in the house that can't remember to close a gate behind them. Because it does not have to be physically closed or locked by the user it is a more practical option when there are older children in the home who have unsupervised access to the swimming pool. Be sure that your gate is always installed to swing out or away from the pool or water.
The above is for your general information. It should
not be used as a definitive interpretation of the law in any way. You
should ensure that any security product you purchase for your swimming pool
conforms and has an AFNOR stamp of approval.
06
85 90 63 28
Copywrite to Julie Haigh
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05
65 11 93 20
06
85 90 63 28
TEL/ FAX 0033 (0)5 6 511 93 20
MOBILE 0033 (0)6 85 90 63 28